


Coffee Shop AU

by downworldkings (900yearsoftimeandspacce)



Series: Shadowhunters Au Mondays [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-04 14:47:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10281335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/900yearsoftimeandspacce/pseuds/downworldkings
Summary: Week One Prompt: Coffee ShopsCanon divergent: Magnus and Alec meet at a coffee shop, not knowing the other is from the Shadow world.





	1. Coffee Shop AU

The bell rings above the door as it closes behind Alec, and Simon looks up from behind the counter as Alec walks over.

“Morning, Alec.”

Alec ignores him, pulling out his wallet.

“Latte.”

Simon just smiles, used to this by now, and says, “Coming right up.” He takes the money from Alec and deposits it in the cash register, then turns and starts making the latte. They’re the only two in The Good Bean, which they almost always are because Alec always shows up at around six, and it’s quiet except for the soft whizzing and humming of the coffee machines. Alec migrates over to the little tray where finished drinks are placed, reading the menu on the wall behind Simon.

“It hasn’t changed, you know.”

“Hm?”

“The menu. It’s exactly the same as it was yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. It wouldn’t kill you to have an actual conversation, you know.”

Alec hm’s again, gaze never leaving the wall, and Simon rolls his eyes.

“Why do I even bother.”

Simon’s just grabbing a lid when the bell rings again and someone else walks in, smiling politely.

“Good morning.”

Simon seems thrilled. “Good morning.”

He places the latte on the tray in front of Alec and goes back over to the cash register as the stranger approaches. He’s tall, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a very well defined jawline, and he catches Alec looking at him.

“Good morning to you, too.”

He smirks at Alec, and Alec feels himself blush, stutters for a moment, then walks right out the door of The Good Bean and onto the street.

 

  
The stranger shows up again the next morning.

“Mh, Simon, this coffee really is spectacular. How long have you been in the business?”

He’s leaning against the counter, talking to Simon, who’s still making the latte, and Alec glares back and forth between the two of them. He can’t decide who he hates more: himself of Jace. Jace for winning the bet, and himself for getting distracted by the man who just so happened to be walking by, and who Alec still swears Jace paid to keep from losing. Because Alec would have won. He could kill a demon in his sleep, and at this point, Jace is only making him get him coffee because he knows it annoys Alec.

“Alec?”

The stranger is looking at him expectantly, eyebrows raised, and Simon is trying, and failing, not to laugh.

“What?”

The stranger smiles, and this time, it’s much more genuine.

“I said, you must really like those lattes to come here so early every morning. Simon said it’s been almost a year?”

“Oh-yeah.”

Alec stands there for a moment, unsure of what to say, then gestures toward the door.

“Right. Well, I should…”

“Be going. Of course.” The stranger smiles at him, and stretches out his hand. “I’m Magnus, by the way.”

“Alec.”

Simon watches them, then ducks his head when Magnus turns back to him and he hears Alec’s footsteps retreating toward the door.  
“Really, Simon, what do you put in here? It’s… magical.”

 

  
Alec’s running late. It’s already 6:15, and the briefing starts at 6:30. There’s no way he’ll make it back in time with Jace’s coffee, but he runs down the street anyway, glamoured to avoid unwanted attention, and only unglamours in the narrow alley behind The Good Bean. He wipes the sweat from his forehead and pulls the door open, eyes down, and walks right into Magnus. The cup of coffee Magnus was holding goes all over him, but he doesn’t flinch. He just looks right at Alec, dead serious, and says, “This was my favorite jacket. I wonder how you could make it up to me. Oh, I know. You could take me out to dinner. How about tonight, eight thirty?”

With Magnus standing on the stoop, he’s a bit taller, but Alec’s craning is neck to see over his shoulders, trying to flag down Simon.

“You know, now’s not really a good time.”

Magnus looks somewhat surprised, but he just says, “Oh. Okay, then,” and steps to the side, Alec darting past him.

“Simon, latte. Now.”

Simon gives him a strange look, but starts making the coffee anyway, and Alec walks up to the counter, sets down a few dollar bills, and waits for the drink, pacing slightly in agitation. He hears someone sigh and spins around, and Magnus walks over to the counter. He shrugs at Alec.

“What can I say. It’s the best coffee around.”

For a moment, Simon looks like he’s enjoying his own private joke, then his expression evens out into one of genuine curiosity and he looks at Alec.

“Don’t you get sick of it though? I mean, a year’s a long time to drink the same exact thing every morning.”

“What? I don’t drink your coffee.”

Magnus and Simon both give Alec a quizzical look.

“What do you mean, you don’t drink my coffee? You’ve come here every morning- every morning- and bought a latte for like a year. You’ve kept me in business. What, do you just pity me?”

Alec looks impatient, shifting from foot to foot. “It’s for my brother.”

“Why-“

“I lost a bet.”

“What was the bet?”

“Uh… who could do the most shots.”

Magnus hm’s, and mutters, “I wouldn’t’ve lost.”

Simon reaches for a lid, popping it on the cup and handing it to Alec.

“Well, at least someone’s enjoying my coffee. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me though.”

Alec looks like he’s about to say something to Simon, but he stops, mouth agape, and turns to Magnus, looking extremely uncomfortable.

“I’ll meet you here at eight.”

And then he dashes out the door, the bell ringing behind him, and runs into the Institute only ten minutes late.  


  
Naturally, Alec shows up early, his runes covered, his Seraph blade against his thigh, his shoulders hunched against the wind. And then he sees Magnus waltzing over, a wide grin on his face, dressed impeccably in dark blues and blacks, his hair spiked, eyes dark.

“Good evening, Alec.”

“Hey, Magnus.”

Magnus gestures down the street. “Shall we?”  
  
  
They end up in a quaint little Indian restaurant, and Magnus keeps smiling at him, and his cheeks are beginning to hurt from all the smiling he’s doing in return, but he feels light and bubbly and happy, he’s so happy to be there, to be there with Magnus. The food is delicious, and Magnus keeps looking at him, and then they’re leaving, and he lets Magnus guide him down a nearly deserted side street, not knowing where it will take them, not knowing where they’re going, just enjoying how it feels to walk with Magnus through the city at night, the lights bright, Magnus’ eyes reflecting them.

And then Alec hears feet pounding, the scraping of claws on concrete behind them, and he turns to face four Shax demons, hissing and pawing their way towards them. Without thinking, Alec draws his Seraph blade, tearing the first demon to pieces as it lunges at him. And then Alec remembers he’s with Magnus, and he turns to offer some kind of explanation to see Magnus incinerating the remaining three demons with a blast of fiery red magic. Alec stares at him, dumbfounded, his Seraph blade hanging limply at his side.

“You’re a Warlock?”

Magnus gapes. “You’re a Shadowhunter?”


	2. Coffee Shop AU Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace finds out about Alec’s date with Magnus after meeting Simon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve literally had this done for weeks, I just kept forgetting to post it. 
> 
> Anyway, this is for @YuujouKami , who requested a part two! I hope you enjoy this!

Simon hands Maureen her coffee.

“You have a gig tonight, right?”

Maureen smiles. “Yeah, at Marquis’. You should come.”

Simon begins cleaning the coffee machine, dumping out the grounds from a long morning of customers, the scent of coffee already thick in the air.

“You know what, I think I will. Eight o’clock?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta get back, but I’ll see you tonight. I’m so glad you can make it. It’s been way too long.”

Simon smiles. “Yeah, it has.”

Maureen, still smiling, takes a few steps backward, toward the door. “I’ll see you tonight, Simon.”

“Bye, Maureen.”

Maureen grins at him, waves with her free hand, then turns and crosses the room, pushing the door open, the bell jingling. She holds it open for the man coming in, tall and blond, hair hanging over his forehead, wearing a black leather jacket and dark pants. He walks up to the counter and leans his elbow against it, smirking at Simon.

“And Alec said you weren’t cute.

Simon, surprised and confused, stutters, “W-what? Alec? Tall-dark-and-brooding Alec? Comes-in-here-every-morning-for-a-latte Alec? That Alec?”

Jace just keeps smirking. “Yeah, that Alec. I’m Jace, by the way. His brother.”

Simon rests back on his heels, trying to look nonchalant and aloof. “I’m Lewis. Simon Lewis.”

And standing there at the counter of The Good Bean, breathing in the scent of freshly brewed coffee, talking to a stranger in an apron, Jace just knows.

They stand there for a minute, just looking at each other, and then another customer walks up behind Jace and Simon clears his throat.

“So, a latte, I take it?”

Jace smiles. “Yeah. A latte.”

And then he steps back, around to the other end of the counter where the drinks are placed, and he watches Simon; the way his eyes catch the light, the way he talks, the way the corners of his mouth life up when he smiles. And then the customer wanders into the back of the shop, and Simon begins tinkering around with the coffee machine.

He looks up at Jace. “Where is Alec, anyway? Didn’t you have a deal?”

“Deal’s up.”

Simon nods and pours in some milk. “You must like the coffee then.”

Jace shrugs. “Coffee’s pretty good.”

And then, for some reason, they’re just smiling at each other again, just standing there, and Simon blurts out the first thing that pops into his head.

“How’s Alec’s date go?”

Jace looks confused. “What date? Alec didn’t have a date.”

Simon mirrors his expression, giving Jace a quizzical look. “Yeah, he did. With Magnus.”

Jace squints at him, seeming to have some sort of internal conflict as to the probability of the veracity of this piece of information, and then his face splits into a grin.

“You said his name was Magnus?”

Simon, still looking confused, says, “Yeah.”

Jace just stands there, staring at a point behind Simon’s shoulder, grinning, and Simon slides his latte in front of him.

“You know,” Simon says, and Jace looks back at him. Simon clears his throat. “A friend of mine is playing at Marquis’ tonight, eight o’clock. You should come. She’s really good.”

Jace takes his coffee and shrugs slightly, back to being nonchalant. “All right. I’ll see you there then.”

And he smirks, and walks right out of the door of The Good Bean, the bell ringing behind him, leaving Sion to watch as he walks off down the street.

  
  


Alec was rereading  _ King Lear, _ enjoying a quiet evening to himself in his room. He’d spent the afternoon on patrol, and was determined to put the little free time he had to good use.

His copy of the play was bound in a large volume containing what are considered Shakespeare’s most notable works that Izzy had given him for his birthday a few years ago, when it had already been well-worn, although she wouldn’t say where she’d gotten it. It wa one of the few books he actually owned, and it was a prized possession.

He turned the page, waiting to see what happened even though he already knew, and without knowing it, he leaned in as Goneril and Regan closed the castle gates and left Lear in the storm.

His door was thrown open, and Jace walked in, closing it much more quietly behind him. He turned to Alec, grinning, and figuring it was futile to resist, Alec closed his book.

Alec sighed. “What do you want, Jace?”

Jace, seeming to be trying to make up for all of the enthusiasm Alec lacked, strutted over to Alec’s bed, sat down, and smirked.

“So Magnus, huh?”

Alec raised his eyebrows. “What?”

Jace’s smirk grew. “How was the date, anyway?”

Alec closed his eyes and tried his best to take a deep, relaxing breath. It was, of course, fruitless, and when he opened his eyes, Jace seemed to have inched closer.

Alec sighed, again recognizing the futility of the situation.

“How did you know?”

“I’m your parabatai.”

Alec gave him a look.

“Fine, Simon told me.”

Alec’s eyebrows shot up again. “Simon?”

“Yeah, coffee shop Simon.”

Alec, lost for words, stuttered for a minute until Jace took pity on him, smirk softening to a smile. “I went there today to get coffee, and mentioned that you were my brother. He assumed I already knew.”

Alec sighed again, and he felt so tired. His muscles were sore from training and the encounters with demons on patrol, and there was a bruise blooming across his ribs from when he’d let his guard down to protect one of the others, and all he wanted to do was read, to just sit in his room and read and enjoy the solitude.

He looked up at Jace, at his eager eyes, at the way he was smiling, and Alec knew he wouldn’t leave until he got something, so he said, “It was nice.”

Jace leaned in. “Nice? Nice how? Walked-in-the-park nice or went-back-to-his-place nice?”

Alec, trying his best to remain calm, took a deep breath.

“We went out for drinks and we talked. That’s it.”

“So what’s he like?”

Without really meaning to, Alec smiled, just a little. “He’s… kind, and smart, and funny, and he loves New York because it’s full of life. Interrogation over?”

Jace laughed. “Come on. You’ve got to give me more than that.”

Alec rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and watching Jace’s expression. “I like him, okay?”

Jace grinned. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Alec’s shoulders sagged, and very, very reluctantly, he began to smile, and then they were just smiling at each other, and Jace was laughing at him, and all Alec could think of was how it had felt when Magnus had kissed him at the end of the night, warm and soft and slow, his skin under Alec’s fingers, Magnus’ hands on his hips, and he could still feel Magnus smiling against his lips.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Tumblr [here](https://ace-arrow-alec.tumblr.com/).

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr [here](https://ace-arrow-alec.tumblr.com/).


End file.
